The back-to-school rush is upon us. Between extracurricular activities and the busyness of life, lunch and after-school snack planning sometimes falls by the wayside. This leaves parents to understandably reach for prepackaged items, even if they aren’t always the healthiest options.
Inspired by her experience as a busy mom, Brandy Skelton, owner of Springboro’s Busy Bee Real Meals, helps time-pressed parents provide healthy food options. “I realized I could help busy moms by reducing their stress, giving them more time with their families and time for doing what they enjoy,” says Brandy.
Busy Bee offers family-style prepped dinners, single-serving heat-and-eat meals and ready-to-eat items, including snack dips and packs, breakfasts and wholesome sweet treats made from whole, unprocessed ingredients. Customers simply order online and choose a pickup location.
Offering a healthy spin on familiar favorites is something that Brandy specializes in and she understands what it’s like to have picky eaters. She has a couple of tips and tricks to try:
-
“Try to pair less healthy items with healthier options (like dips or sweets with fruits or veggies),” says Brandy.
-
Allow kids to help with the meal process from shopping to cooking. “It’s a good time to read labels, talk about ingredients and why some choices can be healthier than others while balancing taste too,” shares Brandy.
Brandy also shares two of her favorite recipes to try cooking with your kids.
Monster Energy Bites
Ingredients
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup oats (any are fine, quick or rolled)
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1/3 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup mini M&M's
Directions
-
Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix thoroughly.
-
Roll into one-inch balls.
-
Store in the fridge. They freeze and thaw well and are great for any time snacking or travel snacks.
Create-Your-Own-Combo Stromboli
For this recipe use any combo of meats, veggies and sauce. Suggested combos: Chicken, veggies, bacon and ranch, beef and cheddar, spinach or broccoli and cheese, breakfast stromboli with eggs, veggies, salsa and cheese.
Ingredients
1 pound pizza crust
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups veggies, chopped
2 cups meat, roughly chopped
1 cup sauce (plus more for dipping)
1/2 small yellow onion, diced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
Directions
-
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with floured parchment paper.
-
Roll the dough into a rectangle on the floured parchment.
-
Cook the meat and set aside.
-
Sauté onion and garlic until translucent. Add veggies and sauté until soft.
-
Spread 1/2 cup sauce over the dough.
-
Layer with meat, veggies and cheese. Fold edges over filling, place seam side down.
-
Brush with olive oil, slit the top and bake for 25-30 minutes.
-
Cool, slice and serve with dipping sauce and salad. Enjoy for dinner and the leftovers are perfect for lunch!
For more no-stress help with balanced, healthy meals any day of the week, check out BusyBeeRealMeals.com.